It is now accepted that allicin, the main biologically active compound in garlic, exhibits antioxidant activity. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the antioxidant activity of garlic can be partially attributed to the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production by cytokine-induced NO synthase (iNOS). Cardiac myocytes cultured from neonatal Wistar rats were stimulated by l...

Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used for centuries for treating various ailments, and its consumption is said to reduce cancer risk and its extracts and components effectively block experimentally induced tumors. Allicin, the major component present in freshly crushed garlic, is one of the most biologically active compounds of garlic. We found that allicin inhibited the growth of cancer cells ...

Allicin was discussed as an active compound with regard to the beneficial effects of garlic in atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the cholesterol-lowering properties of allicin. In order to examine its effects on hypercholesterolemia in male ICR mice, this compound with doses of 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg body weight was given orally daily for 12 weeks. Changes in body weight and...

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) biofilm formation enables the organism to avoid the host immune system, resist antibiotics, and provide a reservoir for persistent infection. Once the biofilm is established, eradication of the infection becomes difficult. Therefore, strategies against UPEC biofilm are urgently required. In this study, we investigated the effect of allicin, isolated from ga...

Background Ischemia-reperfusion brain injury (IRBI) is an important cause for mortality and morbidity. Studies on humans and animals showed that oxidative stress (OS) plays a crucial role in ischemic stroke with or without reperfusion. Allicin is reported to be able to attenuate OS and has neuroprotective effects on rabbits' ischemia-reperfusion spinal cord injury. Aim To explore whether Alli...

Streptolysin O (SLO) is a potent cytolytic toxin produced by almost all strains of group A streptococci and is considered an important virulence factor for this organism. In this study we investigated the effect of allicin and aqueous garlic extracts on the haemolytic activity of SLO. All tested materials potentially inhibited the SLO haemolytic activity. Allicin neutralized SLO in a dose- and ...

Garlic (Allium sativum) has potent antimicrobial activity due to allicin (diallylthiosulfinate) synthesized by enzyme catalysis in damaged garlic tissues. Allicin gives crushed garlic its characteristic odor and its volatility makes it potentially useful for combating lung infections. Allicin was synthesized (>98% pure) by oxidation of diallyl disulfide by H₂O₂ using formic acid as a catalyst a...

In our present study, different doses of allicin and L-ascorbic acid were tested against the genotoxic damage induced by chlormadinone acetate (CMA; 40 microM) using chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) as the parameters. Treatment with allicin and L-ascorbic acid resulted in reduction of CAs and SCEs. The results suggested a protective role of allicin and L-ascor...

Allicin is the most biologically active substance present in garlic. It can be synthesized or obtained by extraction of fresh garlic. Transformation products of allicin are also biologically active. The aim of this study was to examine the antioxidant activity of synthesized allicin and its transformation products obtained using microwaves in methanol at 55 °C as well as their effect on HeLa ce...

protein in vitro and also with body constituents in vivo. They assumed that allicin was not chemically bound with the SH groups of protein, but it was additionally bound forming a complex. Allicin was not liberated from the "com plex" by washing with water or saturated ammonium sulfate solution, but could be easily separated by extracting with ethanol in which allicin is easily soluble. When pr...